Sunday, August 29, 2010

Should women be allowed to go topless?

August 22nd was National Go Topless Day.

I didn’t get the memo, but apparently a number of peeps throughout the country did. Gotopless.org is “a U.S. organization, claiming that women have the same constitutional right to be bare-chested in public places as men.” On this celebratory day, the activists called for men to cover up their chests in the name of equal rights, while women either wore red tape with an “X” across their nipples, latex nipple covers over their actual nipples (they have those?), or they just straight up let it all hang out. Protesters carried signs reading such things as "Men and Women have nipples. Why should Women hide theirs?" and "Equal Topless Rights for All or None." Yeah.

In all but a few select locations across the nation, it is illegal for women to show their nipples. A number of cases recognizing a women’s right to go topless have proved successful. In one such case in 1998, a Maine woman who chose to mow her lawn shirtless was threatened by a neighbor with legal action. But, because Maine supports the boobs, the town voters rejected the law to criminalize female breasts. Not only did they reject it, the locals showed their support by purchasing thousands of "Topfree Lawnmower's Association" t-shirts. (Still trying to find out where I can purchase one of those.)

So, we ask, is this criminalizing of female breasts warranted or should women, like men, be able to go shirtless?